These homemade Garlic Knots are made completely from scratch in just over an hour! My recipe is easy (no mixer needed) and makes perfectly chewy, buttery, and garlicky knots. Includes a how-to video!
Quick & Easy Garlic Knots
So many recipes for garlic knots start with pre-made dough, and while I totally understand being in a rush, nothing stacks up to the taste of a completely from-scratch recipe. Maybe I’m biased, but homemade is always better! Especially with a recipe as easy as this one.
Just like my homemade breadsticks, this homemade garlic knots recipe starts with my simple, from-scratch pizza dough. It’s a very easy yeast dough that’s great for beginners, so don’t be intimidated if you don’t often bake with yeast (like I was for the longest time). If you can stir and you can tie a knot, you can make this recipe!
Once your knots are tied and baked, you will generously brush them with garlic butter before serving. The butter (and that garlicky flavor) will absorb into the bread for a burst of lip-smacking goodness. The final result is equally as tasty on its own as it is when dipped in sauce from baked ziti, beef ragu, or chicken pasta. You are just going to love these!
What You Need
Look at that, only 10 ingredients! I told you this recipe was easy 😉 Here’s what you need:
- Flour. Either bread flour or all-purpose flour will work, but you will get slightly different results from each. Bread flour is my preference, as it gives the knots a slightly more crisp exterior and a chewier interior. All-purpose flour will make them softer and fluffier. While I like my cakes to be soft and fluffy, I prefer my garlic knots to be a bit chewier.
- Yeast. This recipe uses instant/rapid rise yeast for quick and easy results. If you’d like to use active dry yeast, you can. I talk a bit more about this below!
- Garlic. We are adding a bit of garlic powder (just half a teaspoon) into our dough, but most of the garlic flavor is going to come from our buttery, garlic-infused topping.
- Fresh basil. Fresh parsley would alternatively work!
- Parmesan cheese. Optional, but highly recommended for restaurant-style knots.
SAM’S TIP: As with many of my yeast recipes, the amount of flour you will ultimately need will vary depending on the conditions of your kitchen. Do NOT dump it all in at once; just add it gradually until your dough reaches the right consistency. Watch the video below if you would like a visual of what this looks like!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Garlic Knots
- Dry ingredients – Combine 1 cup of flour with the remaining dry ingredients, then stir in the oil and warm water.
- Gradually add more flour as needed until the dough becomes elastic and cohesive.
- Let rise – Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Deflate and divide – Gently deflate the dough and form it into a 15″ log before cutting into 9 even pieces.
- Tie into knots – Roll each piece into an 8″ rope, tie in a knot, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake – Brush each garlic knot with olive oil (optional) and let sit for 5 minutes. Bake for 13 minutes at 400F.
- Brush with garlic butter after baking and sprinkle with grated parmesan just before serving.
SAM’S TIP: This is optional, but I like to brush my knots with olive oil before baking to encourage them to turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven. It’s a quick and simple extra step!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the dough as indicated and place in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, brush your knots with olive oil and bake as directed.
If you’d like to freeze your homemade garlic knots before baking, make sure to do so in an airtight container as well. Frozen knots can be baked straight from the freezer (don’t forget to brush with olive oil before baking!), but they will need to a minute or two longer in the oven.
Active dry yeast will work, but your rise times will be longer than indicated here. I suggest you proof the yeast with the warm water and a pinch of the sugar before adding it to the dry ingredients.
Just like you would tie a regular knot! Once you have your dough in a rope shape, bring the two ends together, then cross one end over, under, and through the other. I demonstrate this in my video below, if you’d like a visual.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! We make these frequently and pair them with everything from my meatballs to beef stew! If you’re serving them as an appetizer instead of a side, I highly suggest making a batch of my homemade marinara for dipping.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
- 2-2 ⅓ cups (250-295 g) bread flour* divided
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
- ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water 105-115F [40-46C]
Garlic Butter:
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic about 1 ½ Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
- Grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder and stir well.2-2 ⅓ cups (250-295 g) bread flour*, 1 packet instant yeast, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until all ingredients are well-combined.2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional, ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water
- Gradually add another 1 cup (125g) of flour. Add any additional flour as needed (I've found that sometimes I need as much as an additional ⅓ cup), stirring until the dough forms a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see video below recipe for visual). The dough will still be tacky but still should be manageable with your hands.
- Drizzle a separate, large, clean bowl generously with olive oil and use a pastry brush to brush up the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer your dough to prepared bowl and roll the dough through the oil until the entire surface of the dough is lightly coated with oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place on top of your oven to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Form into a log about 15” long and cut into 9 even pieces.
- Roll each piece between your palms and slightly pull it to form a rope about 8” long (lightly dust the dough with flour if needed).
- Carefully tie each rope into a knot (see video for guidance) and place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil if desired.
- Set tray on top of warm oven and let garlic knots rest/rise for 5 minutes before baking.
- Transfer to oven and bake on 400F (205C) for 13 minutes or until just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare garlic butter.
Garlic Butter
- Combine butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Cook until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant.4 Tablespoons salted butter, 3 cloves minced garlic
- Remove from heat and stir in minced basil. Once knots have finished baking, use a pastry brush to generously brush garlic butter mixture over each knot. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil, Grated parmesan cheese
- Enjoy served warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
jamie
wow! these were surprisingly easy! i was sure we’d mess them up, but we didn’t! i don’t think our yeast was the instant kind, and we kinda lost track of time and let the dough ball rise for 2.5 hrs (#toddlers), and even still they turned out amazing! so far we haven’t gone wrong with any of your recipes! yay! i thought nothing could beat the garlic cheese drop biscuits, but these knots are right up there with them! definitely recommend anyone making these to use bread flour. this is the first time we’d worked with it, and it’s awesome (not totally sure but i think that’s why this dough didn’t stick to our hands or the surface, the first time that’s ever happened)! it’s so nice to have recipes that are foolproof for newbie bakers that are so good your dinner guests will assume you’re already a pro. this recipe fits that category as do the others of yours we’ve tried. these knots had all the qualities we love in a garlic knot (or breadstick), the perfect amount of chewy and stretchy and still somehow light and pillowy, and crispy on the bottom and reaaaally soft inside. we’re hooked! thank you!!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Jamie! This was a wonderful comment and it put a big smile on my face reading it. Thank you for taking the time to post it. 🙂
Maryam
I love this recipe I’m gonna post it and mention yr link on my Instagram page tnx dear
Nina
Easy and so tasty! This recipe was a hit with the entire family!!! I’ve made it three times in the last two weeks 😋
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for commenting and letting me know how they turned out for you, Nina!
Des from Belize
I just tried your recipe….. it’s sooooo delicious. Quick and easy. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make garlic bread and your recipe helped me to conquer that goal. Thank you! Forever grateful. It is said that when you pass on your knowledge, you are blessed with so much more. May God bless you and your family. 💕
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Des! 🙂
AnnaRey
This recipe is yumyumyum, ever since I’ve made it, it has been on repeat almost weekly. Thank you for a yum and easy to follow recipe. I’ve tweaked it a bit today and stuffed it with cheese before knotting it.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that this recipe has become a favorite of yours, Anna! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Radar
Excellent recipe! We made these to go with homemade pizza- we will just say no more Pizza Hut garlic knots for us!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Radar! I am glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Teresa
I made them for a dinner tonight and wondering what is the best way to warm them just before serving.
Sam
Hi Teresa! The easiest way is probably in the microwave for a few seconds or you could set the oven to a low temperature and put them in there for a few minutes.
Teresa
They are great. Thank you.
Xiwen
I tried the recipe and it was incredible! I would definitely recommend this recipe!
Sam
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the garlic knots so much! 🙂
Brenda
These are AMAZING! My teenage son couldn’t stop eating them with our spaghetti last night. 😄 He’s begging me to make more. Thank you for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were such a hit and paired perfectly with your dinner, Brenda! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Debbie
Very easy and excellent! Great step by step instructions. I will always use bread flour specifically for breads from now on thanks to your explanation on the difference between all purpose flour and bread flour.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and appreciated the detailed explanation, Debbie. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Anna
I made these and ended up having to make a second batch. They were amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were a hit, Ana! 🙂
Jackeline H.
Trying out 2 new recipes today.
Making this recipe now to use later on tonight to go with the pizza dough recipe I found on Pinterest for our homemade pizza night.
Can’t wait to try both!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jackie! I am not what pizza dough recipe you are trying but I have one similar to the garlic knots that you could try as well. Either way, I hope that you enjoy them for dinner tonight. 🙂
Judi
Well they never got a chance to get cold! Absolutely marvelous! My family loved them! Thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that everyone enjoyed them, Judi! 🙂
Bunny
Just made these garlic knots. EXCELLENT! This recipe is a keeper.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the garlic knots, Bunny! 🙂
Lisa Kantar
Hi Sam,
These look awesome! I’m going to make them for Easter dinner. Can you make the dough the night before?
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lisa! Yes, you can. You want to make it, allow it to rise completely, then store in an airtight container until you are ready to use it. I hope that your family enjoys them. 🙂
Aleysi
Making them now! Excited! They look great!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Aleysi! I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂